It's understandable that some may be put off by the cruel and sadistic violence orchestrated by the Basterds... And one thing this film does not do well is make this violence seem more justifiable in the fictional context... Instead our band of American vengeful sadists conduct seemingly indiscriminate violence against German forces.
Even for those who are well-aware of the atrocities committed by the German authorities at this time (not all of whom were "Nazis")... Much of the violence does not feel momentarily justified... And thus lacks any emotional impact... With notable exceptions. Instead, far more attention is spent to dialogue, which in some cases carries tension, but in others is merely mundane filler.
It would be far more palpable if there could be character build-up to the enemies they mutilate... I just can't help to think that many of the people are just victims of circumstance. That being said, the tactics of the Basterds works to instil fear in the heart of the war machine of Nazi Germany... As atrocious as their actions are on an individual level... One must not lose sight of the greater picture... It's just a shame that such a thing could not be demonstrated on screen.
Instead Inglourious Basterds is a series of ultraviolent scenes and drama sequences, pieced together like a comic book, and with barely any emotional impact, but maybe that's just because I'm mentally ill, and without that careful build-up, violence doesn't have much affect on me apart from showcasing shock horror special effects or absurdity-both of which do have entertainment value... To a degree.
Regardless of my criticisms, the film is brilliantly acted by the entire cast, and has a rich multilingual screenplay... Interesting or not, credit is due for the stern attentions to detail.
